Waiting on God When He’s Waiting on Us

For most of us, waiting isn’t a quality in which we excel. We don’t like waiting, whether it’s at a traffic light, in the grocery store checkout line, at the doctor’s office, or anticipating an important email, phone call or letter. Not to mention waiting to be seated at a popular restaurant or holding on the phone for the next available customer service agent.

 

When children are young, they can’t wait until they get older. Teenagers grow impatient waiting for the time when they can drive, then declare independence from their parents. Even when our school days are over and we’re on our own, waiting remains one of our weaker attributes – waiting for the weekend, waiting for that promotion at work, or waiting to retire.

 

Like it or not, waiting also plays an important role in our spiritual life. There’s verse after verse about trusting in the Lord and waiting on Him to act is response to our prayers and needs. In Psalm 27, for instance, King David writes about His confidence in God even in the most dreadful situations. He closes with the declaration, “I am still confident of this: I will see the good news of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord” (Psalm 27:13-14).

 

One of my favorite Psalms addresses this topic not once but twice. Also written by David, he cites a number of proactive steps – “Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the Lord…. Commit our way to the Lord; trust in Him…” (Psalm 37:3-5). But then he hits the spiritual brake pedal, exhorting us to, “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him…. Wait for the Lord and keep His way…” (Psalm 37:7,34).

 

The Israelite king must have become accustomed to waiting on the Lord, because in Psalm 130:5-6 he wrote, “I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in His Word I put my hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning.” And the prophet Micah declared, “But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me” (Micah 7:7).

 

When we read such passages, our first reaction might be something like, ‘Yeah, but that’s easier said than done.’ Because if we’re honest, we know what we want – and we want it now. In His Word, however, the Lord essentially is telling us, “I don’t work that way.”

 

We could point to dozens of other passages, but recently I came to the realization that not only are there are times when it’s necessary to wait on God, but also times when He’s waiting on us. It says in Isaiah 30:18, “So the Lord must wait for you to come to Him so He can show you His love and compassion. For the Lord is a faithful God. Blessed are those who wait for His help” (New Living Translation).

 

Another translation of the same verse words this differently, but as powerfully: "Therefore the Lord longs to be gracious to you, and therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you. For the Lord is a God of justice; how blessed are all those who long for Him.”

 

What does this mean, God waiting on us? Elsewhere the apostle Peter noted, “…God waited patiently in the days of Noah, while the ark was being built…” (1 Peter 3:20). And the apostle Paul admonished his readers, “Or do you show contempt for the riches of His kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you towards repentance?” (Romans 2:4). 

 

At one time this might not have made sense for me – God patiently waiting on me. But now, considering my erratic, sometimes stumbling walk with the Lord over the years, I can recall numerous times when it seems obvious He was doing exactly that – waiting on me to turn to Him. 

 

It goes back to my childhood, teen and college years. I had attended church as a boy, learned lots of Bible stories and did believe in God – in an intellectual sense. But I kept Him at an arm’s length, with no intention of letting Him play an active role in my life. You might say I felt comfortable being my own god. In times of crisis I would send up a “flare prayer,” asking for God’s help, but when the ‘emergency’ had passed, I went back to doing things my way.

 

Thankfully, the Lord did wait on me, as the verse says, longing to show how gracious He is. Through a chain of circumstances too complicated to discuss here, He saw fit to move me from darkness to light, enabling me to become born again as a child of God. But it didn’t ended there. 

 

I recall times – more than I could number – when I was muddling through some major challenge, doing my best to figure out how to resolve it. It might have involved a job situation, financial problems, or a family issue. No matter what I tried, no matter how much I worried about it, answers seemed out of my reach. Then in desperation I’d pray something like, “Lord, I give up. I can’t do this!” And He’d respond, not audibly, but I’d get the sense He was telling me, “I’ve been waiting. I know you can’t do it. But I can. Just watch and see what I’m going to do.” And without fail He’d work things out better than I could have imagined.

This reality – that God does wait on us, demonstrating far more patience than we ever could – is crucial for us to understand. Whether the Lord’s calling us to enter into a saving relationship with Him, tolerating our resistance, or wanting to show He’s the best guide, provider, counselor and partner we could ever ask for, He’s waiting on us. He’s patient, that’s true. But why keep Him waiting any longer? 

The Short-Term Benefits of Instant Gratification

One of the advantages of being older – among many – is being able to appreciate how our society has changed over time. Case in point: Instant gratification. Things we once waited long periods of time for are now at our fingertips within minutes, even moments. A lot of them have to do with food.

 

For instance (or instants), coffee. Growing up, my mom would put coffee grounds in the percolator and wait patiently for the morning brew to get ready. Then came instant coffee – if you were in a hurry, you could get it much faster. You still needed to heat up the water, but it didn’t have to ‘perk.’ Of course, now we have Keurig cups (or whatever brand you prefer) and the machines heat up the water…instantly.

 

The same was true of pudding, one of my favorite childhood desserts. It had to be cooked over the stove, then put into the refrigerator to cool and set. When instant pudding was introduced, it was heralded as a time-saver.

 

Ovens and stoves still play a huge role at mealtime, but I remember when I and a friend debated whether to invest in microwave ovens. Hours slaving over the stove were condensed to mere minutes – almost instantly. The ‘watched pot’ that never boiled became the watched microwave that didn’t beep. And for those who didn’t want to go the microwave route, have you heard of “fast food”?

 

Our instant gratification impulses weren’t limited to our hunger cravings. Television sets with tubes used to take minutes to warm up; TVs now turn on with the click of a remote. Drive-thru windows spare us having to get out of our cars, whether to buy food, pay bills, or pick up merchandise. And let’s not even start on how communicating has been revolutionized by the Internet, email, texting, and our smartphones (speed-dialing?) to expedite whatever we want to do right now.

 

Instant gratification’s something we’ve all experienced and enjoyed. But even as it has accelerated the physical world in so many ways, instant gratification doesn’t work in our walk with the Lord.

 

One of the Bible’s foundational truths is the doctrine of sanctification. As Romans 5:1 tells us, “…we have been justified through faith.” Salvation can happen in a moment. However, sanctification – the process of becoming like Jesus Christ – isn’t instantaneous. Not even close. This is why the apostle Paul wrote with great confidence, “being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6). 

 

Presumably many of the people he was addressing in Philippi had been walking with Christ for quite a while. But Paul knew the so-called “Christian life” is day-to-day, at times arduous and never predictable. It takes time for an artist to create a beautiful sculpture or awe-inspiring painting; it takes a lifetime for God to shape us into the people He desires for us to be.

 

Often, we’d like the Lord to work swiftly, whether to free us from the bondage of destructive sins and habits, intervene in the lives of loved ones, or meet a specific need. But while we’re expecting Him to answer our prayers with a resounding “yes,” many times His answer is very different. The Psalms make this clear. We’re told to, “Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.” But a few verses later we’re told to, “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him…” (Psalm 37:3-4,7).

 

Lest we disregard this and think, ‘Well, He didn’t really mean to wait,’ the same psalm later instructs us to, “Wait for the Lord and keep His way” (Psalm 37:34). Being still and waiting aren’t things most of us do very well. Instant gratification demands, “I want it…and I want it now!”

 

And yet God keeps underscoring the importance of waiting. Psalm 46:10 affirms the earlier psalm, admonishing us to, “Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” We could say this a promise still hasn’t been fulfilled completely. Because in many parts of the world, including our own nation, the one true God isn’t being honored and worshipped. Faith and trust in Him are often ridiculed and dismissed.

 

The Lord, however, isn’t worried at all, nor is He frustrated or disappointed. He declares, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8-9).

 

So, when we’re frantically hunting for a new job, anxiously searching for a new house, fretting over a serious health concern, or praying desperately about a painful family situation and wondering why God hasn’t answered our requests, we must remember: The Lord isn’t about instant gratification. His ways are perfect, and perfection doesn’t usually come with the blink of an eye or snap of the fingers.

 

It doesn’t bother God that His timetable isn’t the same as ours. “But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness…” (2 Peter 3:8-9). If you want instant gratification, go to McDonald’s. But you want what’s best, go to “God’s throne of grace” (Hebrews 4:16) and if necessary, wait with confidence for His response.

Struggling With a ‘Wait’ Problem

Apparently an aversion to waiting is as old as time. Note the facial
expressions on these statues at Walt Disney World's Epcot.

A friend and fellow blogger, Len Allen, recently wrote about what he called the Bible’s “worst four-letter word.” What was the word? Before you let your imagination run wild, it’s wait.

Statistics indicate eight out of every 10 Americans wrestle with their weight, but there’s another problem that’s even more universal: the struggle with “wait.” If we live in large metropolitan areas and use public transportation, we hate having to wait on the bus, the train or the subway. If we’re in a grocery store, we hate waiting in the checkout line. The same holds true in retail stores, restaurants, the department of motor vehicles, the doctor’s office, even churches when we arrive late and can’t be seated until the pastor finishes the opening prayer.

For whatever reason, I’ve found it most difficult to wait when career issues were involved. Years ago I was looking for a new job and had been interviewed by an executive recruiter. Rather than patiently waiting to hear from the recruiter, I called every other day to ask about progress. I never got the job offer – they probably were looking for someone with more patience.

Another time I was ready to move on vocationally, and some promising opportunities arose. As it turned out, however, several years passed before the right job became available. It was worth the wait – but I hated having to wait just the same.

Probably the greatest “wait” problem of all is waiting on God. We seek to know His will, and want to know what it is – right now. We present prayer requests to God and expect Him to answer on the spot. Someone dear to us, perhaps ourselves, is sick and we ask for healing – immediately.

But unlike weight problems that can diminish our lives, spiritual wait problems we struggle with often serve to enhance our lives. The Scriptures repeatedly speak about the need to wait on the Lord. In fact, at times He insists on it.

One of my favorite psalms, for instance, repeatedly talks about waiting on God: “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him…” (Psalm 37:7). In case the reader missed it the first time, the psalmist reiterates, “Wait for the Lord and keep his way. He will exalt you to inherit the land; when the wicked are cut off, you will see it” (Psalm 37:34).

A few chapters later we find another admonition to wait on the Lord: “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10).

Here are some similar passages:

“Wait for the Lord, be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord” (Psalm 27:14).

“The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord” (Lamentations 3:25-26).

“Yet those who hope (wait) in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles, they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint” (Isaiah 40:31).

When we read passages like these, we nod our heads but our hearts want to complain: “Sure, God, that’s easy for You to say. You’ve got all the time in the world, but I’m tired of waiting. Why don’t You just do something?”

After more than six decades of living, more than half of them as a follower of Jesus, I’ve learned a difficult but enduring lesson: When God says, “Wait,” there’s always a good reason.

Perhaps He’s preparing to prove that like the old TV sitcom, “Father knows best.” You might be asking for the wrong thing, the timing isn’t right, or He has a different and better plan.

Maybe waiting is necessary for you to take the next step in your spiritual journey. As the verse above stated, “Be still, and know that I am God” – and know that you are not.

Or you need something stronger than a nudge to motivate you to exercise your spiritual muscles: “…because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” (James 1:2-4).

So if you find yourself in God’s waiting room, don’t think He’s forgotten you, or has become too busy, or doesn’t care. The Lord knows what you want. And even better, He knows what you need – because often what we want and need aren't the same. 

A wait problem can be a good thing.